What is 802.16?

Heard about WiMax or WirelessMAN? What about 802.16? For people new to these techie concepts, it is worth knowing that among the newest innovations that science and technology of today provides, the 802.16 is the one considered by most experts as a powerful technological tool. It is created as a set of standards designed to enhance the performance of wireless networking. Simply put, the 802.16 is made to provide the so-called "last mile" of Internet access' pace to its end users.

The WiMax or 802.16 is deemed as one powerful solution to high speed Internet access simply for one main reason - it brings wireless and broadband into a great fusion. By combining the two forces of today's Internet, the standard is able to deliver Internet access to different areas in the world at high speed. One good thing about this technology is that it works even in long distances, hence the term "last mile". Because of such capability, it's no surprise to hear news about 802.16 great enough in developing areas that can be labeled as "wireless hot spots".

WiMax or 802.16 is compared popularly to Wi-Fi for certain reasons. The most noted reason for this comparison has something to do basically with the deployments involved in the network. In the first place, the ISP involved has their higher access often represented by the figure T3. This ISP utilizes a string of sight antenna, technically known as bridges, to make connections between a couple of towers that would work to deliver and allocate the so-called sight signal non-line to Metropolitan Area Access (MAN), which basically are residences and businesses.

Just like WiFi, the sight antennas used by 802.16 functions to deliver high speed Internet access to businesses and homes by hitting a 60 MHZ level of frequency. However, the antennas designed to distribute the signals need not to be in visible to the clients, while those that are non-line functions in a way similar to that of the Wi-Fi networks. Because of this though, 802.16 is capable of operating without any sign of interference right next to towers powered for mobile phones.

Aside from such hint of similarity, the Wi-Fi and WiMax are the same when the beaming of signals to receivers is concerned. But what separates these two aspects from each other is tha fact that unlike the clients of Wi-Fi who are required to stay associated with a particular point of access, the 802.16 or WiMax only needs a few hand shakes with the businesses and residences from their first attempt of accessing the network.

Today, the 802.16 is favored much by millions of residences and businesses from around the world not just for everything mentioned above. Added to its benefits is the fact that unlike the rest of wireless networking systems, this option is a lot cheaper. It even works quicker without the need of laying wires. It can also handle VOIP and other protocols, and they can distribute the labeled "crisis information" to respective metropolitan areas in no time flat.